Alternate Names

NGC 4486, Virgo A

Type

Supermassive

Location

in the constellation Virgo

Finder Chart

Distance

50 million light-years (16.1 megaparsecs)

Mass

6.6 billion times the mass of the Sun

Size

Three times the diameter of Pluto's orbit around the Sun

Discovery Methods

• Measuring the motions of gas
• Measuring the motions of stars

1

This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image shows a cosmic jet shooting away from M87's nucleus, along with other streamers of hot gas. The black hole sits at the center of the bright spot of light. [NASA/CXC/W. Forman et. al.]

This document was last modified: October 24, 2005.